languages seem originally to have had three numbers and eight cases, though it is by no means clear that each of the latter had a distinct form in every class of stems.

They are doubtless to be regarded as the representatives of the old language of the maritime districts, and it is probable that languages of this type were at one time spoken along the whole of the coast between the present frontiers of Belgium and Denmark.

The early divergence of the eastern languages in general from those of the north and west is perhaps to be ascribed in part to the great extension southwards of the territories of the eastern tribes in the 3rd and 4th centuries.

The common ancestor of all languages comprising this branch is Proto-Germanic, spoken in approximately the latter mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age Northern Europe.

All Germaniclanguages are thought to be descended from a hypothetical Proto-Germanic, united by their having been subjected to the sound shifts of Grimm's law and Verner's law.

During the early Middle Ages, the WestGermaniclanguages were separated by the insular development of Middle English on one hand, and by the High Germanconsonant shift on the continent on the other, resulting in Upper German and Low Saxon, with graded intermediate Central Germanvarieties.

www.reference.com /browse/wiki/Germanic_languages (1745 words)

Germanic languages(Site not responding. Last check: )

Strong evidence for the unity of all the modernGermaniclanguages can be found in the phenomenon known as the first Germanic sound shift or consonant shift (also called Grimm’s law), which set the Germanic subfamily apart from the other members of the Indo-European family.

Also peculiar to the Germaniclanguages is the recessive accent, whereby the stress usually falls on the first or root syllable of a word, especially a word of Germanic origin.

Lastly, vocabulary furnished evidence of a common origin for the Germaniclanguages in that a number of the basic words in these languages are similar in form; however, while word similarity may indicate the same original source for a group of languages, it can also be a sign of borrowing.

Strong evidence for the unity of all the modern Germaniclanguages can be found in the phenomenon known as the first Germanic sound shift or consonant shift (also called Grimm's law), which set the Germanic subfamily apart from the other members of the Indo-European family.

Also peculiar to the Germaniclanguages is the recessive accent, whereby the stress usually falls on the first or root syllable of a word, especially a word of Germanic origin.

Lastly, vocabulary furnished evidence of a common origin for the Germaniclanguages in that a number of the basic words in these languages are similar in form; however, while word similarity may indicate the same original source for a group of languages, it can also be a sign of borrowing.

The WestGermaniclanguages constitute the largest branch of the Germanic family of languages and includes languages such as German, English and Dutch.

During the Middle Ages, the WestGermaniclanguages were separated by the insular development of Middle English on one hand, and by the second Germanic sound shift on the continent on the other.

The linguistic contact of the Viking settlers of the Danelaw with the Anglo-Saxons left traces in the Englishlanguage, and is suspected to have facilitated the collapse of the Old English inflexional system that marked the onset of the Middle English period 12th century.

The choice of language and the means of fulfillment of the requirement must be agreed upon in advance by the student and the Director.

Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.

Students are examined in the following areas: one examination on the history of Germaniclanguages, theory, and historical linguistics; one examination on the structure of Germanlanguages, and in theory and synchronic linguistics; one examination on languages and dialects.

GermaniclanguagesGERMANICLANGUAGES[Germaniclanguages] subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages, spoken by about 470 million people in many parts of the world, but chiefly in Europe and the Western Hemisphere.

GermanlanguageGERMANLANGUAGE[Germanlanguage] member of the WestGermanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germaniclanguages).

It is the official language of Germany and Austria and is one of the official languages of Switzerland.

So both modernGerman and modernEnglish descend from a primitive WestGermaniclanguage family, but they are on different sides of the family.

In Gothic (the earliest attested Germaniclanguage, but not the source of the others, just a member of the Eastern branch of the family), the first and second person personal pronouns are (nominative) ik, þu, weis and jus; (accusative) mik, þuk, uns and izwis; (genitive) meina, þeina, unsara, and izwara.

Germaniclanguages continued to be spoken in the Germanic home lands of Scandinavia and central Germany, and are of course till spoken there today.

The implications of a non-cartographic approach are discussed in four key areas of Germanic syntax (the fine structure of the left periphery, topicalization/focalization, subject placement and object placement).

Germanicvarieties, Serbian, Albanian and other Balkan languages alongside Chinese, Japanese, Tagalog are discussed from various theoretical angles such as mainstream generativism, lexical-functional grammar, and functional typology.

Modal verbs in Mainland Scandinavian languages have received much less attention than their English and German counterparts, hence this book seizes the opportunity to present a range of new data and generalizations relevant for the study of Scandinavian languages, but also for the study of modality in Germanic and other languages.

Germanic - one of the largest sub-groups of the Indo-Europeanlanguage family - comprises 37 languages with an estimated 470 million speakers worldwide.

This book presents a comparative linguistic survey of the full range of Germaniclanguages, both ancient and modern, including major world languages such as English and German (WestGermanic), the Scandinavian (NorthGermanic) languages, and the extinct EastGermaniclanguages.

Authoritative and comprehensive, this much-needed survey will be welcomed by scholars and students of the Germaniclanguages, as well as linguists across the many branches of the field.

Study for higher degrees in the Department of GermanicLanguages and Literatures (this designation was instituted in 1897) is intended as preparation for a career in teaching and research.

German was first taught in Harvard College in 1825 when Carl (Charles) Follen, a young anti-monarchist and poet, who had fled from Giessen to escape political persecution, became an instructor in German.

Opportunities are provided to teach elementary and intermediate language classes, to tutor undergraduates in literature, and to assist in courses in literature given by members of the department.

The chapter on Gothic, which attempts to use the language to reconstruct Proto-Germanic was written by Winfred Lehmann, one of the greatest comparative Indo-European linguists of the 20th century and a keen investigator of the Germanic branch.

Mind you, this is not a language course or even a brief for the beginner who wishes to learn vocabulary or anything like that, it is simply a very forward explanation on History Developments and their overall play and role in society today and before.

I recommend it to anyone whose heart lies in Scandinavian Language and culture, for it presents a very foundational knowledge sourse that is fundamental to all in that course of study.

astore.amazon.com /glossika03-20/detail/0415280796 (878 words)

UCLA Department of Germanic Languages(Site not responding. Last check: )

The Department of GermanicLanguages, with its distinguished scholars, can fill this need by offering quality individual attention to students that is usually only available at private universities.

The undergraduate major is comprised of lower division courses in language, and 13 upper division courses in literature, linguistics, and culture studies.

GermanicLanguages, which prepares you in one of the other Germaniclanguages taught in our department, such as Dutch or OldNorse.

The program is structured to set the study of the Germaniclanguages and their literatures within the contexts of their respective cultures, including their historical, economic, political, philosophical, and cultural aspects.

German drama is occasionally performed and German film series are regularly offered, often in conjunction with the surrounding colleges.

Majors in German Studies are urged to broaden their competence in Germaniclanguages and literatures by participating in the Dutch and Scandinavian offerings.